Regardless of your role and rank within an organization, getting the attention of busy people can be challenging, especially via email. It’s important to utilize strategies to increase the likelihood that an email recipient will not only open your email but read your entire message. However, the only way to get a chance to have people read your message is to get them interested enough to open it in the first place.
When asked, a common reason people give for not opening an email is their lack of interest in the email subject line. If it’s not something that grabs their attention or entices them, they are likely to scroll past it. Here are some techniques to help you create appealing and enticing subject lines.
Lead with a benefit. If a person knows they stand to benefit from reading your email, it gives them the incentive to open it. Example: Three ways to double your Instagram followers.
Create curiosity. Questions are a great way to pique your reader’s interest and inspire them to open your emails in search of more information. Example: What not to do if you lock yourself out of your car.
Use numbers. People like the use of numbers because they provide clarity, helping users understand what’s in store for them when they read the body of this subject. Example: What 90% of successful people do every day.
Borrow credibility from a well-known source. “Name-dropping” a well-known figure in your industry is an effective attention grabber. Many people want to know how a thought leader thinks, primarily if it benefits them and what they do. Example: Zuckerberg’s top three productivity secrets.
Sell speed. Communicating what you can achieve in a short amount of time is a very eye-catching way of ‘hooking’ your readers. They want instant gratification, so focus on reducing the expected time length to achieve a result. Example: Decrease your spending in one week.
Be newsworthy. Keep your emails consistent and relevant about new developments in your field. This will help to build novelty to keep your open rates high. These subject lines often work well when combined with curiosity. Example: Did you hear about Amazon’s new same-day delivery service?
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If your readers don’t open your emails, you’re missing the opportunity to turn them into loyal customers. This can only happen with consistent and valued interactions. To get your message out to more people and generate higher open rates, make sure you are investing the time and thought into crafting interesting, enticing, and appealing subject lines.